Ask Elhais

The Question: What are the Consequences if You Left the UAE for Good without Cancelling Your Visa?

I left UAE without cancelling my visa and some friend of mine telling me that I cannot come back anymore in UAE. Please give me an advice on this matter because I have no idea on that. What I will do to verify this information because I want to go back to Dubai to work. I left my previous company around 2012.

Answer:

Your situation will fall under one of the three categories mentioned below:

If the visa has been cancelled by the sponsor after you had left the country for over 6 months -You will have the right to apply for a new visa. This usually happens in 50% of cases.

After you have spent more than 6 months outside the country – Your Company or Sponsor could file a case against you for Absconding, in which case you will not be allowed to come back. This usually happens in 40% of cases.

Your Company or Sponsor did not cancel your visa or file a case against you for Absconding, which is very rare – Your option would be to contact your Sponsor or Company and request to cancel your previous visa and apply for a new one. This usually happens in 10% of cases.

In order to know, which category applies to you and about your legal status, you would need to instruct a lawyer to check your legal status in the UAE.